Key case



Nov. 30 1926. 1,608,999

W. C. ROSS KEY CASE 7 Filed Feb. 2. 1924 K .j ]j

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER C. ROSS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T BUXTON, INCOR- PORATED, A CORPORATION (3F MASSACHUSETTS.

KEY CASE.

Application filed February 2, 1924. Serial No. 690,165.

This invention relates to key cases and, more particularly, to improvements in the mounting of the key retaining elements thereof. The invention is particularly concerned with a mounting of the key retaining elements on their supporting means in a conveniently detachable manner. As customarily made, the key retaining elements are first completely formed and afterwards laid in place in a partially formed plate which is afterwards bent'into its final form and, when so bent, retains the elements in a more or less permanent fashion. The present invention enables the plate and key retaining elements to be formed completel and later assembled. Likewise, the construction enables any desired hook to be detached at will.

Various solutions of this same general problem have been provided heretofore, as I am aware, but in all which have come to my attention, there is the inherent disadvantage that the key retaining elements, although attachable and detachable with comparative case, are prone to become detached from the case unintentionally at undesired times. For example, one solution for the problem is to provide an enlargement in the slot in which the key retaining element swings, such enlargement being designed to permit free passage of the enlarged head of the key retaining element into and out of the socket in which it is pivotally supported. To restrain the elements from becoming accidentally detached from their sockets, the enlargements referred to, have been located so as to be normally closed by the leather folder, forming the case. However, such a closure for the enlargement is yieldable at best and, as the case becomes worn by service, the closure becomes less and less reliable and keys can escape or be pulled out at undesired times.

The object of this invention is to provide in a key case improved means for detachably connecting the key retaining elements'to their supporting means, characterized by the revention of accidental detachment of the iiey retaining elements under any ordinary conditions of service.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a detachable mounting for the key retaining elements, such that the latter need to be manipulated in a certain.

manner, which could hardly occur accidentally, in order to detach them.

In carrying out my invention, use is made of the usual slot in which the key retaining element swings but the slot is closed at both ends and at no point allows the enlarged head of the element to pass therethrough. Instead of an enlargement in the slot, a separate entrance to the supporting socket for the head is provided and this entrance is made large enough to permit free passage of the head but not the body of the key retaining element. A cross bar, forming a closure for one end of the slot, is provided adjacent said entrance and the key retaining elements cannot be detached or attached without so manipulating them that the cross bar first enters and later leaves the key retaining loops of said elements.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following description and in the illustrative embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a front elevational view of an open key case embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective View, taken from the rear, of the supporting plate for the key retaining elements;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a modification in the construction of the supporting plate;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged cross sectional views illustrating successive steps in the operation of detaching a key retaining element;

Figs. 7 and S are enlarged fragmentary rear elevational and cross sectional views, respectively, of another modification in the construction of' the supporting plate; and

Figs. 9 and 10 are front and side elevational views, respectively, of the enlarged swivel head of one of the key retaining elements.

Referring to these drawings, the key case chosen to illustrate the invention is of the usual, well known type comprising a folder of leather or other suitable material the end portions 11 of which constitute flaps foldable in overlapping relation over the central portion 12, constituting the back of the case. Suitable means, such as the interengageable fasteners 13, are provided to hold the flaps together in enclosing relation over the keys. The key retaining elements 14. are shown as swivclled in, as well as pivotally supported from, a hollow cylindrical member 15.. formed by rolling up the upper edge of a plate 16, which is suitabl secured, as by rivets 17, to the back 12. Any other suitable form of key case may be used, as desired, and that shown is chosen as an illustrative example of one suitable and representative type.

The key retaining elements may be constructed iniany desired manner to afford a key retaining loop 17- and an enlarged head for reception in the socket afforded by the hollow cylindrical member 15. While it not necessary according to all features of this invention that the key retaining elements, or hooks, have a swivelled engagement in their sockets, I have chosen this form as being a commonly accepted and desirableone in'the'trade and as showinga broader application of the invention. For such mounting of the hooks each is provided with the equivalent of a ball head, which may be constructed as shownin Figs. 9 and .10 or in any other suitable manner. As there shown, the upper end of the shank of hook 14 is bentto form an approximately circular eye 18 and the extremity 19 of the shank, forming-the closure of eye 18, is flattenedsomewhat as it is bent in order to form lateral offsets 20, one on each side of the sidewalls of sloti2land preventpassage of the head therethrough, when positioned as in Fig. 9. Obviously, the eye 18 functions in a similar manner when the hook is turned.

in Fig. 10. It will be readily apparent that the' wirefrom which the hook is made can be of uniform width throughoutand does not'need to benccked down adjacent the head, as heretofore. While the head thus described is intended. to swivel in its socket, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the head need not. necessarily swivel and canmerely function as a trunnion for pure swinging movement.

' While the socket for head 18 is shown as a: transversely+slotted, hollow, cylindrical member, as frequently used in the trade, the invention, in all its aspects, isnot restricted thereto and may be practiced with any other suitable form of socket having-the characteristic features of the invention, as hereinafter pointed'out.

According to this invention, each slot 21 is closed, or substantially closed, in the'sense that the-hook cannot escape therefrom ex cept in the special'manner hereinafter disclosed. The plate 16' forms'a closure for'the slots-21 'at'one end in the usual manner and at the other end a cross bar 22 is provided.

The slots 21, while shown of uniform width, need not necessarily be uniform ibutthcy are so constructed that at all locations the heads 18 cannot pass thercthrough. The slots 21, however, freely receive the widest portions of the hooks other-than their heads and per mit the hooks to swing freely into and out of'the case and to swivel, all in the usual ma nner.

To enable the enlarged head of each hook to pass into or OlltOf the socket aii'orded 'by member 15, an entrance opening of suilicient. area is provided but this opening. has no connection with slot 21 and is separated therefrom .by the cross bar 22, or its equivalent, This opening, which is-pre'ferably. located at the back of the member 15 .so as to be normally concealed by the flexible backv 12, may take the form of a slot 23 (Fig. 2) common, to all thekey retaining elements. Individual entrance openings, such as12 l, may, however, be provided for each key retaining, element, as shown in Fig. 3, the intervening; portionssuc-h as being bent tangentially to inen'iber 15 to lie substantiab ly in the plane-of the'body of plate 16. The particular location ofthe cross bars maybe varied within limits, as desired. The limits of variation are the desiredan-g-ular extent of slots 21, which usually are at least 180 degrees in extent in order to permit the desired range of swinging moven'icnt of the key retaining elements. The location of the cross bar shown in Figs. lite 6 is well adapted for all practical purposes but a still lower location of it may be used, as shown in Fig.8. The arrangement there shown requires thatthe hooks 14 be positionednearly vertically in orderi to be attached or deta hed and wh re the mostditlicut detachment'is desired, this arrangement is preferable.

In the practical use of the invention, both the plate 16 andthe hooks 14L may be completely formed prion to-assemblyi To-assemble a hookon plate 16, the plate and hook are positioned relatively to one another as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 6. The hook, or plate, is then-moved'so that the former occupies theposition shown by dotted'lines in Fig. 6 and, in order to assume this posi tion, the cross bar must enter the retaining loop 17, passin'g through the'spring'closure thereof. A. straight line pull on the hook suffices to snapit: over bar 22 and into the dotted line position-. The position of the hook 1 1 is then reversed, end for end, bringing the hookandplate' into the-relative positions shown lll'Flg. 5, with head 18 in :position for entrance into opening23. Another pull on the hook will causeit' to be snapped over cross bar 22-and as the latter leaves the loop 17' both sicles of theloop forming portion of the hook are lodged in slotzQl and head 18 enters into its socket and assumes Bil the position shown in Fig. 4. To detach the hook, the described operations are reversed.

The assembly described is, of course, usually made prior to the fastening of plate 16 in the flexible case but it may be made afterward, vhenever it is desired to remove a hook, because the flexible back 12 Will yield, or can be so arranged as to yield, sufficiently for the purpose.

It will be noted that the hook in order to become detached must work its way over cross bar 22 in such a manner that the latter not only enters loop 17 but also subsequently leaves it and that it is extremely unlikely that this can be accomplished accidentally. Consequently, for all practical purposes, the hooks, although detachable, are prevented from accidental detachment.

The invention has been disclosed herein, in an embodiment at present preferred, for illustrative purposes but the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

hat I claim is 1. In a key case, a key retaining member, including a relatively large body portion having a key retaining loop, a relatively narrow shank and an enlargement on the shank forming a head by means of which said member is supported for swinging movement. said head being smaller than said body portion, supporting means for said member afiording a socket to receive said head and an entrance to said socket large enough to permit said head but not the body of said member to freely enter the socket, said means having a slot therein to receive a portion of said shank and afford freedom for the swinging movement of said member, the side walls of said slot being so spaced as to restrain passage of said head therethrough, said supporting means having means for obstructing both ends of said slot sufficient to prevent said shank from passing out of the same, the obstructing means at one end of said slot disposed adjacent said entrance, said member being removable from said supporting means only by a relative manipulation of the two which will cause said last named obstructing means to enter and afterwards leave said key retaining loop.

2. In a key case, a key retaining hook having an enlarged head, means affording a socket to receive said head and an entrance to the socket large enough to permit free entrance of the head but not the body of the hook, a closed slot provided in said means through which a part of said hook extends, the walls of said slot at all parts thereof restraining passage of said head therethrough, and a cross bar forming one closure of said slot, said hook being removable by a relative manipulation of it and said means which will cause the cross bar to enter and afterwards leave the key retaining loop of said hook.

8. In a key case, a suitable folder, a plate mounted thereon and having one edge bent forwardly and rolled into substantially cylindrical form with the free end disposed substantially in the plane of the body of the plate, a substantially transverse slot provided in said cylindrical portion, a member having a key retaining loop and an enlarged head to lie withinsaid cylindricalportion and support the member for swinging movement in the confines of said slot, said head being too large to pass through said slot, said plate having means for obstructing both ends of said slot sufficiently to prevent said member from passing out at the ends thereof, an opening provided between the obstructing means at one end of said slot and the body of the plate sufficient to permit said head to pass into or out of said cylindrical portion, said opening being normally closed by said folder, said key retaining element being removable from said slot only by a manipulation of the same relatively to said last named obstructing means which will cause the latter to first enter and later leave the key retaining loop of said member.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

IVALTER C. ROSS. 

